Traversing Time and Space
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: Whoever thought they'd seen it all clearly didn't time travel. Well, that's what Yuma and his friends do and they end up in the middle of the first war against Vector's army. Because of a few complications – such as a threat of the butterfly effect – they all have to remain incognito until they find a way to get back home. Naturally, that's easier said than done. Possibly angst.
1. Chapter 1

**Zexal Fanfiction:**

**Traversing Time and Space**

**Friendship**

**Yuma/Shark/Rio/Durbe**

**Whoever thought they'd seen it all clearly didn't time travel. Well, that's what Yuma and his friends do and they end up in the middle of the first war against Vector's army. Because of a few complications – such as a threat of the butterfly effect – they all have to remain incognito until they find a way to get back home. Naturally, that's easier said than done. **

**(Don't own Zexal. If I did, the Barians wouldn't be going through this troublesome time.)**

* * *

**D.T.B: Hey, guys. Back with another fresh multi-chapter story for you all, complete with plot twists, interesting theories which are guaranteed to drive you absolutely nuts, and romantic/humor/angsty moments. Please enjoy. Whu? GALAXY-EYES! GO AWAY! We've got a chapter to do!**

* * *

Chapter 1

Galaxy Cry

* * *

Light coughing could be heard from the inner recesses of the dark cave. A young man with blond hair stood in the center of a circle. His skin was a sickly pale and his entire body was covered in sweat. His breaths came out short and heavy and his hand was held outward. "This has to work," he said. "Now, Galaxy-Eyes...bring them here. End this war. Save our people."

Instantly, the circle below his feet exploded with light and blades of wind passed by him, blowing through the tunic that covered his chest. During this time, the man's blue-grey eyes remained firm. The shout of a dragon then echoed through the cave and the man could feel the power of one pass through his being. Then the circle faded away and the man fell to the ground, all the strength having left his being. "Isogu...Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon..."

* * *

Kaito stepped out of the hospital with a heavy sigh. Going to the doctor to listen to a long, boring explanation about his health and recommendations about how to fix it? Check. Get home with his sanity? Oh, that was ongoing. He was about five minutes away from absolutely blowing his top. How on any world could doctors be so...annoying? Honestly, they were worse than Heartland on a bad day. (And that's bad.)

Well, then again, it was either the doctors or his father. And nothing against his father, but he'd sooner listen to the doctors. They were always neutral. At least, he hoped they were always neutral. Dropping subject.

"Nii-san!"

Kaito perked up when his title reached his ears. Haruto was waving his hand in the air, with Yuma, Kotori, Rio, and Ryoga walking closely behind them. Naturally, Astral was floating. "Hey, Haruto," Kaito responded.

Haruto raced forward and gave his brother a hug. Thanks to his tiny frame, he was just barely able to grab hold of his brother's waist. "How was your appointment?" Haruto asked.

"Why did he need an appointment?" Yuma asked.

Kaito's face adopted a red tint and he turned away. He didn't explain it to anybody, but his Photon Transformation was giving him problems **again** and his father had 'suggested' that he get examined by a professional, rather than a robot who hardly knew what he was doing.

Not the best idea, seeing as how the **doctor** didn't understand anything either. Ugh, he had to get into the longest explanation about his little 'problem' – omitting the fact that he took souls and dueled maniacs possessed by playing cards – before the doc knew what to look for.

Next time his father gave him a choice like that, then sent him on another one of those trips, he was going to make sure that his father was sending him to someone who worked for Heartland. At least they wouldn't require an explanation.

"Nii-san?" Haruto asked, snapping his brother out of his stupor.

"Huh?" went Kaito, looking down at his brother with innocent eyes. (You gotta love the innocent eyes.) Then he smiled softly and rested his hands on Haruto's shoulders. "I'm fine, Haruto," he said. "Just a little tired."

"I see what you mean," Rio said. "Doctors are totally annoying."

"Well, you wouldn't think that if you didn't get yourself stuck in there for a few years," Ryoga snapped.

"Oh, stop it, Ryoga," Rio said. "You got stuck in there too."

"Yeah, once," Ryoga responded. "I'm not as much of a klutz as you are."

"Ryoga!" Rio growled.

"Guys, guys," Yuma said, trying to stop the argument in any way. "Hey, I know! Why don't we all have a quick duel? It's been a while since we've all katto-"

"Don't you even finish that sentence, Yuma!" Ryoga grouched. "I don't want to hear it right now."

Kotori simply laughed it off.

"Observation number 25: It would appear that even 'kattobingu' has limits," Astral said. (Totally random number.)

"I heard that, Astral," Yuma said, sweatdropping slightly.

Haruto let out a light chuckle. "These guys are so much fun to be around," he said.

Kaito sighed. "If you say so, Haruto," he admitted.

The scene among the small group continued on for a short while, with Kaito and Haruto chuckling once in a while at the back-and-forth banter between Ryoga and Yuma (As well as Astral's occasional input.).

Everybody was enjoying themselves so much, they didn't notice the preparations.

They didn't notice the glowing dragon that slept in Kaito's deck.

They didn't notice...until it was all prepared.

* * *

A bright light flashed from the purple container, directing all eyes to Kaito's deck. "N-Nii-san, what's that?" Haruto asked worriedly.

"I don't know!" Kaito responded, pulling the sole glowing monster out of his deck.

Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.

"Galaxy-Eyes," Kaito breathed. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Yuma said, "but I think we'd better run!"

_"__At last, I've found you,_" a voice said. "_Ryoga...Rio...your kingdom needs you again."_

"Uh, okay, who's talking now?" Yuma asked worriedly.

"I believe...it is Galaxy-Eyes," Astral said.

"_Now come... Hurry... his life is waning!"_

Instantly, the monster card in question shined with a newer, fiercer light, forcing everybody to close their eyes for fear of blindness.

However, just as quickly as it appeared, the light faded away. Haruto opened his eyes and looked around.

Yuma, Kotori and Astral were gone.

"Where did...?" he began. Then he looked down to the ground.

Then he gasped.

Kaito was unconscious, as were Ryoga and Rio. And Galaxy-Eyes, Kaito's precious card was nowhere to be seen.

"NII-SAAAAN!"

* * *

(Somewhere else)

The young man started pulling himself back onto his feet through the use of the cave wall. A light chuckle escaped him as a familiar wave passed through his body. "They've arrived," he said. "Thank goodness."

A groan escaped him and he fell back to the cold ground.

* * *

(Somewhere else else)

A sigh of relief escaped a young boy who downed a refreshing drink of water from an old fashioned canteen. His pet wolf, who was resting beside him, let out a soft whine as she also took a drink from a spring. "This is better," the boy said. "I hope Brother doesn't think we're skipping out on our duties."

The wolf let out a whine/laugh. "_Indeed, Master,_" she responded. "_Let's not forget what he did the last time you chose to 'skip out.'"_

The boy let out a groan and fell back onto the ground. "Don't remind me," he said. "I'm still bruised."

The wolf simply laughed it off, then returned to drinking the water.

Blissful silence.

A soft sigh.

The chirping of birds.

The perfect moment.

The perfect moment all too easily broken by the sound of a soft boom overhead.

In a flash, the boy's grey eyes snapped open and he forced himself into a sitting position. A shooting star of sorts fell to the ground. "_Master!_" the wolf exclaimed softly.

"I hear you," the boy said, forcing himself to his feet, his hand on the pommel of his blade. "What in Baria was that?" ←[Give you one guess as to who this kid is.]

* * *

A loud 'KaBAM' shattered the green earth below them all. Then they all let out small groans. "Okay, that was a rough landing," Yuma mumbled. "And I've had rougher ones."

"Oh, just shut it, Yuma," Ryoga snapped. "What the heck happened?"

"I dunno," Rio said. "But anybody want to think something bad?"

"Yeah," Kotori agreed. "Why do I feel so...uncomfortable?"

Then the smoke cleared.

"Yuma," Astral said, "I would advise you taking a good look at yourself."

They all did.

Then they freaked.

Rio and Ryoga were wearing the attire of their past lives, Yuma was wearing some armor (Or something.), and Kotori was wearing a loose-fitting dress. "What is this!?" Kotori shrieked, giving the skirt a tug.

"I dunno," Yuma said, "but this looks AWESOME!"

"Yuma, now is not the time to be enjoying ourselves!" Ryoga snapped. "What the heck happened to all of us?"

They got their answer.

And boy, did they hate it.

"Ryoga! Rio!" a familiar voice shouted.

Everybody froze. They reeeeaaally recognized that voice.

"Ryoga, Rio," the voice repeated, closer this time.

In fact, it was so close, you might even say it was right next to them.

They turned around.

Scratch that. It **was** really close to them. Point blank range, in fact.

Before them, astride a fair white pegasus, was a knight. A knight with grey hair and matching eyes. He was wearing white slim-fitting armor and a snow white cape.

Slim-fitting armor fit for a knight of legends.

"Oh, dear," Rio exclaimed softly.

"Durbe...," Ryoga choked.

Durbe looked at his friends curiously. "Whatever is the matter, my friend?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Kotori was all set to faint. They knew where they were now.

They were in Ryoga and Rio's past.

...Oh, woof.

* * *

**D.T.B: Well, that's chapter one for ya. And the questions have already come pouring in. Who was that strange guy who summoned them all there? Why did Yuma and Kotori show up with Ryoga and Rio? Why are they all there in the first place? Who the heck was the guy with the wolf?! (Well, you actually probably already know who he is.)**

**Durbe: So what do you have planned this time around?**

**D.T.B: Embarrassing romance for you. I can promise that.**

**Rio: What is that supposed to mean?**

**D.T.B: I'll give you a hint. The pairing for this one is HolyIceShipping.**

**Durbe and Rio: [blushing madly.]**

**Blue Mokona: Please review, everybody! Puuuu!**

**Sirius: Why on Barian World does HE keep showing up in your Zexal stories?!**

**D.T.B: Because he's cute.**

**Blue Mokona: That's right. I'm cute. So you better be nice, Siri-chan.**

**Sirius: NO, I DON'T! GET OVER HERE! [races after him]**


	2. Chapter 2

**D.T.B: Wow. So many reviews for the first chapter. I'm so happy! XD**

**Sirius: Boy, are you in trouble.**

**D.T.B: Please don't mind him. Before we begin the next chapter, however, I have one thing to say. No. The boy with the wolf was not Vector. Although I am curious. What the heck gave you that idea? ,: /**

**Sirius: Are you gonna start the chapter or what?**

**D.T.B: Right. Chapter. Let's get to it. Enjoy, people. :)**

* * *

Chapter 2

Confusion

* * *

Durbe looked down to his friends with a curious eye. "Whatever is the matter, my friend?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ryoga remained petrified as Durbe dismounted. Then Durbe placed his hands on his friend's shoulders, instantly knocking him out of his stupor. "Ryoga?" Durbe asked, worry creeping into his voice.

Ryoga shook his head and knocked Durbe's hands away. "I'm fine," he said. "Quit worrying."

Durbe gave him a more solemn smile. "I see," he said. "Forgive me, my friend."

Rio, however, had yet to fully recover, something she revealed fairly quickly when she let out another, "Oh, dear."

That was probably not the best idea though. Some people can misinterpret words such as 'dear,' after all.

Durbe then turned his head over to Rio, then smiled. "Rio-hime," he said softly, wrapping her in a hug. "I am glad you are unharmed."

"Huh?" Rio thought in a rather freaked out manner.

"Uh, what's going on with Durbe?" Yuma asked.

"I have no idea," Kotori said. "Is that even Durbe the Barian Emperor?"

"I believe so," Astral said. "It feels like him and his appearance is identical to the human form of Durbe the Barian. Could it be that a part of his personality was lost when he became a Barian?" (Why are you asking me that? XD )

Apparently so.

Durbe then brushed Rio's hair behind her ear and looked her in the eye. "Rio-hime, daijoubu?" he asked.

Rio suddenly stiffened up. Something about Durbe seemed to make her grow cold. "Rio-hime?" Durbe asked, placing his hands on her bare arms.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry."

Durbe smiled. "That's good," he said.

Then came the misinterpretation.

He leaned forward and gave Rio a kiss. And not just any ordinary kiss, which could be very easily overlooked when one is royalty, but a passionate kiss with absolutely nothing held back. A kiss that clearly said one thing.

Love. And lots of it.

Instantly, everybody, including Astral, turned bright red. While most of them were red out of embarrassment (Which is amazing, coming from Yuma.), Ryoga was bright red because of rage.

What was Durbe doing!?

After a second or two, Durbe pulled himself away from Rio and looked her in the eye again. Her face was cherry red and her eyes were trembling. Actually, her entire** body** was trembling. "Rio-hime?" Durbe asked. "What's the ma-"

The sound of a hand hitting somebody's cheek echoed across the land. Some birds even raced away for fear that it was an explosive stick or something.

Meanwhile, Durbe was holding the side of his face. ←[That's really gotta hurt.] "R-Rio-hime, whatever is the matter?" he asked her.

"You don't just go kissing people!" Rio shouted. "It's bad manners!"

"Whoa," Yuma breathed. "That was crazy."

Kotori had her eyes covered, so she had no comment.

"I am curious," Astral said. "Why was she so embarrassed about him pressing his lips against hers?"

Nobody had an answer. They were far too embarrassed/angry ←[You guess.] to even dare explain it to the human flashlight.

However, that wasn't the end of it. One more person had something to say.

* * *

(Just a little later.)

Durbe was rubbing his sore cheek as he led his precious steed, Mach, back to the kingdom of the United Lands. Both Rio and Kotori were on the Pegasus' back, something the steed seemed to hate, or at the very least, disliked. Yuma and Ryoga were walking on either side of Mach, with Astral floating close behind. "I am sorry if I startled you, Ryoga, Rio," Durbe said. "I had no knowledge that you would choose to react like that."

"And I had no knowledge that you would do that to my sister," Ryoga growled. "You'd better stay away from her from now on, do you hear me?"

Durbe then stopped and looked over to Ryoga. "What?" he asked slowly. "Ryoga, are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Yeah," Ryoga said. "Better than ever."

"If that is the case, then why have you been so irritable since my arrival?" Durbe asked. "Usually, neither you nor your fair sister are so easily angered by my actions."

"And what do you mean by that?" Rio asked with a huff.

Durbe's eyes then began to tremble. "Could it be...that what fell to the earth earlier erased their memory somehow?" he thought.

"Ryoga," Durbe said. "Have you...truly forgotten?"

"What could he have forgotten?" Kotori asked.

Durbe remained silent for a moment. The words he wanted to say were too far away for him to speak. "That Rio and I are-"

"Durbe-nii!"

The arrival of a second voice froze everybody in their tracks. Then they all looked to the source. A boy riding a large wolf was heading right for them. Instantly, Kotori let out a shriek, Yuma readied himself for a possible duel, (Which he couldn't actually have.) and Ryoga readied his sword. "Ryoga," Durbe said softly. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting my sister!" Rygoa shouted.

A second passed by.

Then another.

Then another.

Then the wolf stopped itself through the use of a skid, covering Ryoga and Kotori with the brown earth. "I thought I smelled something odd," a voice said.

Kotori rubbed the dirt out of her eyes and looked up, everybody else following shortly behind her. On top of the white wolf sat a youthful boy. He had shaggy grey hair with several cowlicks that stood on the sides, giving Kotori a vague image of cat ears. Tiny cat ears, to be sure, but that's beside the point. His grey eyes were snapping with life and he wore an almost cocky grin on his face. His skin was paler than the average person, but he seemed to be healthy enough.

Sirius. (You read my stories, you know this OC.)

* * *

"Yo, Bro," Sirius said. "Glad I found you."

"What are you doing here, Sirius?" Durbe asked, rubbing his head slightly to soothe a rising headache.

"I smelled something really nasty and decided to check it out," Sirius responded, getting off of his wolf's back and patting himself down. Unlike Durbe, who was wearing armor, Sirius was wearing a wool shirt and black slacks. He didn't appear to be ready for battle or anything of the sort. In fact, he looked like he'd been relaxing prior to getting on the wolf's back.

"You and that sense of smell," Durbe chuckled.

"You have your skills, I have mine," Sirius said. He raised on hand in the air and directed his eyes to Ryoga. "Hey, Nasch. Long time, no smell."

"Do I know you?" Ryoga said bluntly.

Gloom hung over Sirius in an instant. "I'm sorry, what?" Sirius asked...very slowly. "I know you hate me and all, but...what?"

"You heard me the first time," Ryoga said. "I asked if I knew you."

Sirius then clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

Then Durbe placed his hand on Ryoga's shoulder. "Ryoga," he said, "that's my brother. You don't...remember him?"

"What?!" Yuma shouted.

"Durbe has a brother?" Astral asked.

"For real?" Ryoga asked.

"Yeah! For real!" Sirius snapped. "Maybe this'll help your memory! I'm the guy who pranked you a week ago?"

"Nope. Doesn't ring a bell," Ryoga responded monotonously.

"You nearly killed me because I painted on the inside of your cape!" Sirius growled, pointing to the cape in question. "Took you two days to get it all cleaned up!"

"No," Ryoga said. "Trust me. I'd remember something like that."

Sirius growled just a little more. Then he practically barked and said, "Figures. We never **were** meant to get along anyway."

Durbe instantly changed the subject. "Sirius, you said that you smelled something?" he asked.

"Huh?" went Sirius. "Oh! Yeah."

"So, what kind of smell was it?" Yuma asked, jumping right in front of Sirius.

Sirius only took a quick whiff before backing away. "Oh, good grief," he breathed softly, holding his nose. "You smell like you live in the monster dens."

"Huh?" went Yuma.

"Do you work with monsters or something, sir?" Sirius asked.

"It's Yuma, and every day," Yuma responded with a smile.

"I thought so," Sirius responded nasally. Then he walked over to the girls. Then he proceeded to give Kotori a quick sniff, only to back away in an instant. "Oh, gross!" he exclaimed. "What do you put behind your ears, woman?! Mildewy water?"

That earned him not only a wide mouthed expression from Kotori, but a slap to the face as well. "What on Baria was that for?!" Sirius shouted.

"Sirius," Durbe said, "I believe that 'mildewy water,' as you so put it, is what people call 'perfume.' Many women wear it nowadays. Including Rio-hime."

Rio blushed when he said that. ←[Does it in the present too.]

"Why do women worry about their scent anyway?" Sirius asked. "I work with one all day, and she doesn't worry."

"Need I remind you that the woman you work with is a wolf?" Durbe asked, pointing to the wolf that Sirius had ridden there on.

"What's your point?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing," Durbe said, conceding defeat. "Anyway, was that the strange scent you picked up?"

"Um...well," Sirius began. He stopped briefly when yet another scent went passed his nose.

A scent that was foreign to his nose, yet at the same time, one he was familiar with.

His eyes flashed to the Royal siblings, who were now standing beside each other. "This scent," he thought. "No way. It's-"

"Sirius? Sirius!" Durbe exclaimed.

"Huh?" went Sirius, snapping out of his trance-like state and looking over to his brother. "No," he said. "Forget it. It was nothing." He looked to the sky. "It was probably that girl's 'perfume' or whatever you call it, anyway."

"MO!" Kotori shouted, ready to throw him another slap.

Fortunately, everything simmered down after that. Mainly thanks to Yuma and Durbe calming the girls down. (Rio was two seconds away from flipping out herself.) Ryoga and Sirius pretty much ignored everything after that, as they were actually trying to ignore each other. ←[Yeah. Not such a good idea in the long run.]

* * *

Rio couldn't contain her surprise, nor could Kotori, when they saw the insides of the palace. Brightly colored chandeliers, slick walls, aqua blue carpets, and stained glass windows. "Sugoi!" Kotori breathed.

"Why are you so surprised?" Sirius asked, his hands behind his head of grey hair. "It's just the palace."

"My apologies," Durbe said, "but weren't you the one who was amazed when you first saw the springs nearby?"

"I thought I told you to never bring that up again," Sirius said, blushing slightly.

"Ah, whatever," Yuma said. "It's still pretty cool. Man, Shark, you've got one heck of a pad!"

That caused both Ryoga and Rio to jerk their heads over to their friend. Sirius cast him a sidelong glance while Durbe raised an eyebrow. "Pad?" Durbe asked.

Instantly, Rio and Ryoga clammed Yuma up by clapping their hands over his mouth. "Yuma," Rio growled.

"Keep your mouth shut, you idiot," Ryoga said through gritted teeth.

Both knightly brothers sweat dropped. "Is it just me, or have you been acting weirder than normal, Nasch?" Sirius asked.

"That's true," Durbe said. "Have you been under the sun too long, my friend?"

Ryoga then pulled himself away from Yuma. Then he folded his arms and looked away. "I'm fine," he said. "I'm acting no different than I usually would."

Sirius chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah," he said. "For some reason, I doubt that."

That ended the conversation, as Ryoga no longer had any desire to speak. And Rio still had her hand over Yuma's mouth, so that, in turn, kept his trap shut.

Astral could only sigh. What a day.

* * *

(That night.)

Yuma fell down onto one of the extravagant beds in the palace guest wing in a heap. "Oh man," he breathed. "This was one crazy day. And I wasn't able to get a single duel in."

"Yuma, you really need to chill out," Kotori mumbled. "It's not like you can't duel while we're here."

"But how the heck did we get here in the first place?" Yuma asked. "I'll admit, it's cool, hanging out in a palace like this, but Akari's going to kill me when I get back."

"I would not worry too much, Yuma," Astral said, floating over his friend's head. "I am sure we will get back home eventually. In the meantime, however, it would be wise to try to 'blend in' with the people of this era."

"Huh?" went Yuma. "Why do we have to do that?"

"Yuma!" Kotori exclaimed. "If you keep acting like that, people are eventually going to find out that we don't belong here!"

"Kotori is correct," Astral said. "If you continue to behave like you did when we first arrived, it would surely raise the suspicions of those around us. We must remain undercover until we find a way to get home."

"Really?" Yuma asked, sparks appearing in his eyes.

"Yes," Astral said. "I have no knowledge of how long we shall be staying here. It would be wise that we look as normal as possible."

"Okay then!" Yuma shouted. "So tomorrow, we'll commence Operation Act Normal!"

Kotori sweatdropped.

Oh, great.

* * *

(Meanwhile...)

Sirius fell onto his bed with a groan. "Well, that was a fairly unusual day," he said.

"True words, Sirius," Durbe said, falling onto his own bed with a huff. Then he let out a small sigh.

"Now that I think about it, is something wrong between you and Rio?" Sirius asked. "You guys seemed a little...distant today."

Clearly, that struck a nerve, as Durbe's fingers twitched. "I don't know," he said. "She seemed...angry at me for some reason."

"Seriously?" Sirius asked. "We are talking about Rio here, right?"

"Indeed," Durbe replied. "But still...she wasn't behaving like Rio."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. "What'd she do? Hug you instead of kiss you?"

"She slapped me," was the instant reply.

Freeze.

"Are you **sure** the two of you are okay?" Sirius asked. "I mean, aren't you and her supposed to be-"

"I don't know," Durbe interrupted, fingering his left wrist. "All I do know...is that she wasn't acting like herself. It was like she was a different person entirely."

Sirius looked up to the ceiling of their home. "Well," he said, "I wouldn't be so worried if I were you. Knowing her, she'll probably be back to normal in a few days or so."

"I hope so," Durbe breathed.

A brief smile was shared between the two brothers. "Okay then," Sirius said. "Let's get some sleep. That was a weird day and I'm beat."

"You? Beat?" Durbe asked in slight disbelief. "Sirius, are **you** feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," Sirius said, swinging his hand this way and that. "I'm just tired, that's all. I'm going outside to sleep with Guardian. Talk to you tomorrow."

With that, he walked outside to his precious wolf. Then he gently stroked her fur, a solemn expression gracing his demeanor. "Oh, Guardian," he said softly, "what am I supposed to do?"

He then sat down and let his body sink into Guardian's fur. "That scent," Sirius thought, "it was so...strange. Like nothing I've ever smelled before. Those people...they're not from here. And to make matters worse...I got a whiff of it from Ryoga and Rio. What does that mean? What does...that mean...?"

With that, he fell asleep, allowing his unconscious mind to mull over the day's occurrences.

* * *

**D.T.B: Wuh oh. Sirius is beginning to catch on already?! **

**Sirius: You just broke the stinking record there.**

**D.T.B: Did I? **

**Kaito: Are you planning on keeping me in this story?**

**D.T.B: There's no Diamondshipping here, Kaito! Or are you just eager to have a spot in one of my stories?**

**Kaito: Yeah, right. Get real.**

**D.T.B: Well, to answer, YES. You shall still be in this story. Though I wonder if you shall enjoy it.**

**Haruto: What's gonna happen next?**

**D.T.B: I guess I'll have to get to work to figure it out, huh? Oh! As for justanotherdreamgirl's question, I am planning for some amount of Skyshipping. Probably just mainly hints, but you never know. I might be able to pull it off. Just don't expect a lot. I'm a horrible Skyshipper. ^_^'**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Operation Act Normal **

* * *

"Kattobingu da, ORE!"

Everybody who heard those words jumped out of bed in an instant. Durbe, who was sleeping in the small cabin nearby, actually fell **off** his bed with a loud THUD.

The knight then let out a groan. "What was that?"

"Durbe-nii!" Sirius shouted, racing into the cabin with fear painted all over his face. "Did you hear that? What do you think it-"

He froze. Then he let out a tiny chuckle.

"What?" Durbe asked.

"Forget what I said," Sirius laughed. "Don't let your hair get shaggy. It looks ridiculous."

Durbe simply gave his brother a nonchalant glare. "Oh, please," he mumbled. Then he pulled himself off the ground, freeing his foot from the blanket that had ensnared him. "I'm going to the well."

"Don't look at your reflection," Sirius teased.

In response, Durbe ruffled his brother's hair, messing it up more than it already was. "Speak for yourself," he chuckled.

"Thanks," Sirius said. "Now I don't need to comb it today."

"You don't even comb it at all," Durbe responded.

"Good point."

The grey-haired knight simply sighed. His brother was a handful sometimes.

After Durbe had finally left for the well, Sirius fell against the door. "Now," he said solemnly, "time to figure out who those guys really are. And...why they smell so strange."

* * *

Ryoga raced into the guest room of the palace as fast as his lungs permitted. "Yuma!" he shouted. "What are you doing?!"

Yuma turned around. He was dressed in the garbs that he'd found himself in when they arrived, but he added a bucket helmet and lid shield to the mix. A wooden sword hung limply by his side. "Alright!" he said enthusiastically. "Operation Act Normal is ready!"

Ryoga sweat dropped. "What was that, Ryoga?" Rio asked, walking over to the door. "It sounded like a bomb went off in here."

"One did," Ryoga said. "Yuma."

Yuma merely laughed it off. This, of course, prompted those watching him to sweat drop.

That was going to be a very long day. No doubt about it.

* * *

Breakfast that day was gloomy and uneventful at best. Everybody chose to remain unbearably silent, something that brought nothing but awkwardness to the table. Not to mention, Sirius and Durbe were at the table, eating breakfast with them.

Recipe for trouble.

Ryoga chose to mess with his meal, poking it with his fork like it was alive. This earned him a raised eyebrow from Durbe, who was slowly growing more and more worried, if not confused, about his friend and his behavior.

"What is this stuff?" Yuma asked, poking his own meal with a curious look on his face.

"You do not know?" Durbe asked. "It's a delicacy of the United Lands. It's fish from the ponds close by and herbs from the gardens, complete with spices unique to this land."

"Better known as food poisoning in the making," Sirius muttered, poking at his own meal.

"Sirius," Durbe practically growled. "That's poor manners."

"Sorry, Durbe-nii," Sirius said, "but you know me. I hate fish as much as I hate beans."

"Sirius," Durbe said, sweat dropping slightly. "Not at the table."

"It's looking at me," Rio groaned.

Durbe practically jerked his head over to the princess sitting by his side. Sirius did likewise.

"That's odd," Durbe thought. "She usually loves this meal."

Both Rio and Ryoga pushed their chairs away from the table. "I'm not hungry," Ryoga said.

"Me too," Rio said.

Then the two of them left the table and went to the throne room for a while. 'Hey, guys," Yuma called. "Wait for us."

Then he and Kotori left the table, Astral floating close behind.

"Huh," Sirius chuckled. "The King of the Seas refuses to eat fish. Something's up."

"Indeed," Durbe said. "Maybe we should keep an eye on them today. Just to make sure they're alright."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "In that case, I'll keep an eye on their friends. You keep an eye on Nasch and Merag."

Durbe raised an eyebrow. "Did you just volunteer for work?"

"Nope," Sirius said. "Just giving you some 'alone time' with your friends."

Durbe turned his head away. "You haven't changed, have you?"

"Nope." Then Sirius left the table as well.

Durbe simply fiddled with his left wrist again as his mind was pulled back to memories he'd made with his friends.

* * *

"So you're gonna give us a tour of the kingdom?" Yuma asked happily.

"Yep, that's right," Sirius said. "You guys are new here, right? Well, I've got nothing better to do, so might as well."

"Yatta!" Yuma shouted. "Thanks a bunch, Durbe's little brother."

Instantly, an anger mark appeared on Sirius' head. "My name isn't 'Durbe's little brother,'" he growled.

"Huh?" went Yuma.

"My name isn't 'Durbe's little brother!'" Sirius shouted. "It's Sirius! Okay!? Remember it! It's not that hard!"

"R-Right," Yuma squeaked, backing up slightly.

"It would appear that this boy is not fond of being called by a nickname," Astral observed.

"Yeah," Kotori agreed.

Sirius then flashed Kotori a glare. This, in turn, prompted the young woman to jump behind Yuma.

Then Sirius let out a sigh. "Forget it," he said, placing a hand over his eyes. "Call me or don't call me whatever you want. I've heard it all before anyway."

"Huh?"

Sirius shook his head. "Never mind," he said. "So, ready to go?"

"Should I go get Rio-san and Ryoga?" Kotori asked.

Sirius couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Such casualness," he said.

"Um, you okay?" Yuma asked.

Sirius simply raised a hand. "I'm fine," he said. "It just caught me off-guard. Not even Durbe-nii speaks of them so casually. And he's their closest friend."

Yuma and Kotori then turned bright red. "Well, yeah," Yuma stuttered. "We've known them for...a while."

"Oh, really?" Sirius asked. "How long?"

"Um...a while," Yuma said.

"Yeah," Kotori added.

Sirius could only shrug. "Okay then," he said. "Anyway, you don't have to worry about bringing Nasch and Merag. Durbe-nii's working with them today. So come on. I know someone you just **have** to meet."

"Oh? Who?" Kotori asked.

"You'll see," Sirius said. "Come on."

With that, the four of them made their way into the forest nearby.

* * *

Sirius looked down to the ground beneath them. Then he smiled when he noticed some paw prints in the weak soil. "So, uh," Yuma began, "who are we meeting out here again?"

Sirius pulled his gauntlet off his hand and raised his fingers to his mouth. "You'll see," he said. "She'll really help show you around."

Then he let out a whistle, piercing the air around them and scaring the birds from their perches.

Silence.

More silence.

And more silence after that.

"What did you do?" Kotori asked.

"Just watch," Sirius said. "She's coming."

"Um, who's coming?" Yuma asked.

Then he felt something warm going down his shirt collar. Curious, Astral, who was hearing a strange huffing sound, turned and looked above Yuma. Then he let out a gasp. "Yuma," he said, "do not move."

"Huh? Why?"

Needless to say, Yuma didn't listen to a word Astral said. He turned around and looked up. A large wolf, about the size of a horse, was looking down at him, fangs bared. As soon as the beast let out a snarl, Yuma jumped into the air and raced past Sirius and behind a tree.

The wolf, however, followed closely behind and grabbed the young duelist by the collar. "Uaaaaah!" Yuma shouted.

"Yuma!" Kotori shrieked.

Sirius simply started laughing. "Oh, please!" he exclaimed. "You guys are so hopeless. Alright, Guardian. Let him go. He's not a meal."

The wolf did as told, then proceeded to lick Yuma's face.

Then Sirius walked over to the wolf and gave it a scratch behind the ears. "Good girl," he cooed. (He is going to kill me for using that word.)

"Hang on," Yuma said, standing up and wiping his face. "The person you wanted us to meet was-"

"Well, to be honest, I never once said it was a **person** I wanted you to meet," Sirius said. "You simply assumed that." He then placed a hand on her neck and faced the startled teens standing before him. "Guys, this is my friend, Guardian. And Guardian, this is...," he paused; "sorry, what were your names again?"

Astral sighed. Yuma fell down anime-style. Kotori slapped her head. "It is true that you have yet to properly introduce yourselves," Astral pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true," Yuma said. He stood back up and smiled. "The name's Yuma Tsukumo! And I'm going to be dueling champion someday."

"Dueling champion?" Sirius thought curiously.

"Yuma," Kotori snapped, "you really need to cool off. That's not something you should just spout out to everybody."

"But, Kotori," Yuma said, "it's true. I'm going to be the dueling champion somebody."

Sirius froze, but then let out a chuckle.

"_Whatever is the matter, Sirius-sama?_" Guardian asked.

Both Yuma and Kotori looked over to the chuckling knight. "Tell me," Sirius said. "Are the two of you...you know?"

Yuma obviously didn't know, but Kotori certainly did, as proven by her bright red face. "No, we're not!" she shouted. "We're just friends! That's all there is to it! Don't get any creepy ideas."

"These guys have to be the most oblivious people on the planet," Sirius thought nonchalantly. "Kinda reminds me of Durbe-nii..."

"_Indeed,_" Guardian said. "_Nearly identical, save the argument._"

"Uh huh."

With the shake of his head, Sirius then got on Guardian's back. "Alright, you two," Sirius said. "Hop on. Things'll move faster this way."

"You want us to get on that thing?!" Kotori asked. "No way. Wolves and Birds don't get along." ←[Reference to her name, which means 'little bird.']

"Oh, don't worry. She won't bite," Sirius said simply.

"Awesome!" Yuma exclaimed, hopping onto the great white wolf. "Come on, Kotori. Give it a try."

Kotori simply blushed a deep crimson, but then took Yuma's hand and got on Guardian's back, sitting side-saddle between both boys. One in front of her (Sirius), one behind her. (Yuma.)

"Alright," Sirius said. "Let's get going, Guardian. And go easy. We can't have this fair maiden falling off."

Kotori simply gave him a scowl.

"Y'okay!" Yuma exclaimed. "Kattobingu da ORE!"

Sirius and Guardian sweat dropped. "What?"

"Never mind him," Kotori said. "He just says that once in a while."

Sirius didn't exactly scream, "I'm convinced," after that. However, he didn't push the subject either. Just spurred Guardian on.

* * *

(Meanwhile, with the Kamishiro twins and Durbe.)

Durbe was walking alongside his friends. Sirius would have hated seeing the three of them together. Usually, the three of them would be walking side by side, all smiles and no worries. However, that time around, Ryoga and Rio were staying as far away from Durbe as they could without attracting unwanted attention. While it succeeded for the most part, Durbe could tell that they were giving him the cold shoulder. Naturally, he couldn't help but feel rejected. Especially whenever Rio looked towards him, then looked back.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Durbe said, "Ryoga-ouji, Rio-hime," he said, "have I done something to offend you in any way?"

The twins stopped and turned to him. "Whaddaya mean?" Ryoga asked.

"You seem to be ignoring me for some reason," Durbe said. "Not only that, you act as if I am a stranger to you." He paused for a moment, as if thinking about his words before allowing them to escape his throat. "It is like I am an enemy to you."

The twins froze in their tracks.

Durbe's face never looked more solemn. Rio's expression softened as she looked into his eyes. Then she shook her head and forced on a smile. "No, no, Durbe-kun," she said, waving her hand back and forth. "It's nothing, really. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Durbe-kun?" Durbe thought. "Did she...always used to call me that?"

He shook his head and slowly took Rio's right hand. "Rio-hime," he said, "if there is nothing the matter, then can...can you...show me your left wrist?"

"Huh?" Rio thought curiously.

"Durbe," Ryoga growled. "What are you trying to pull here?"

Rio chose to ignore Ryoga's words. Slowly, she lifted her hand and showed him her wrist. There was a bangle, as blue as the sky, adorning her slender arm. Funny. She didn't even notice it before. "Where did I...?" she began.

"I thought so," Durbe thought.

"You're still wearing it," he said aloud.

"What are you talking about, Durbe?" Ryoga asked.

Durbe remained silent for a moment. "This bangle," he said, "it is something that I gave to you, Rio-hime. Have you forgotten?"

"No!" Rio said instantly. "Of course not. Why did you give it to me again?"

Durbe felt the urge to tear up. She truly didn't remember why he gave that to her...

"Rio-hime," he choked.

"What's wrong?" Rio asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Rio-hime...I am...we are-"

Instantly, the earth beneath their feet began to shake, prompting Rio to shriek and practically throw herself into Durbe's arms. "What's happening?!" she cried.

"What's going on?!" Ryoga snapped.

"They're back!" Durbe said.

* * *

"Who's back?" Yuma asked Sirius.

"Yuma!" Kotori exclaimed, falling off of Guardian's back and landing on Yuma.

Sirius had his arms around Guardian's neck, a pained scowl gracing his features. A single name escaped him as he futilely struggled in keeping his obvious terror contained.

"...Vector."

* * *

**D.T.B: Come on, Sirius! Out of your room! We've got a talkspot to handle.**

**Sirius: NO WAY! That girl is still out there!**

**D.T.B: Sorry, Chappy. He saw your review and hid out in his room.**

**Antares: Yes, he's been eating well. No, he's not hurt anywhere. No, he doesn't have his diary.**

**D.T.B: I DO! Parts of it, anyway. (He burned it.)**

**Antares: As for that last question, I guess you'll have to read and find out. I think Barian-san's got an idea to hint something really special.**

**Sirius: Cut it out already! **

**Rio: Is this HolyIceShipping or OCShipping?**

**D.T.B and Antares: Both, probably.**

**D.T.B: And if anybody has any complaints about the delay for the update, blame Shark's Revival and Sirius. He's been hiding out ever since his interview.**


	4. Chapter 4

**D.T.B: Sirius! Come ON already! We've got work to do!**

**Sirius: NO!**

**D.T.B: Oh, please. **

**May: Come on, Sirius! You still owe me a chocolate bar! [pulling on the doorknob.]**

**Antares: And you have to get Guardian Wolf off of Chappy!**

**Sirius: She's the one who pulled out the dog treat! Not me! [dog treat crashes through his window and hits him in the noggin'.] What is this? **

**[Picks up the dog treat. Then Guardian Wolf jumps on him.]**

**Sirius: AAAAAHH!**

**D.T.B: YAY! Now let's get to work. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Ferocity of War**

* * *

Cannon fire could be heard all across the land. The sky darkened with jet black clouds as boats floated across the ocean. One group went through the sky, avoiding arrows and cannons while the other met up with them down below. "Durbe-nii!" Sirius shouted.

"Sirius!"

Sirius held his fingers forward.

Durbe nodded. Then he lowered his head and whispered something into Mach's ears. The loyal Pegasus nodded and flew down to the palace.

Within minutes, the two groups met up with each other, with Sirius helping Kotori off of Guardian's back. "Boy, do we have problems," Sirius said.

"Agreed," Durbe said, helping Rio off of Mach's back.

"What on earth is going on here?" Ryoga asked with a growl.

"Sirius was saying something about Vector," Yuma said.

"Vector?"

"If you tell me you've forgotten, the next thing you're gonna be seeing is my foot in your face," Sirius growled.

"Sirius!" Durbe scolded, surprise painting his face.

"Wasn't that a little out of line?" Kotori asked.

"Not to me," Sirius said.

"Hey!" Ryoga snapped.

"What? It's true."

"Sirius," Durbe said, a hint of anger in his tone, "now is not the time for you and your problems with Ryoga."

"Fine, fine," Sirius mumbled. "Later then."

Then another cannon fall could be heard overhead, forcing everybody to duck instinctively.

"What was that?" Yuma exclaimed.

"I believe it was called a 'cannonball,'" Astral said. "It would appear that the kingdom is under attack!"

"Ryoga," Durbe said, "you get your men into position. I'll stall for as long as I can on Mach."

"I'll back you up," Sirius said.

"No, Sirius," Durbe said. "You're staying here. I need you to keep an eye on Rio-hime and her friends."

"What?!" Sirius snapped. "You're pulling me out of the battlefield just so I can babysit your-"

"Sirius," Durbe said firmly.

Sirius caught himself shrinking away. Again with the attitude.

"Fine," he growled.

"Thank you," Durbe responded. Then he got back on Mach and looked to the sky.

"You be careful up there, Durbe," Ryoga said. "I'll catch up."

Durbe smiled lightly. Then he nodded and took to the skies.

Sirius lowered his head, gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Alright, everybody," Ryoga said. "Into the palace now."

"Got it," Yuma said. "Come on, guys."

Everybody then followed Ryoga into the palace. Sirius, meanwhile, had his eyes locked on the fleet of ships he could barely see, a single name just begging to spout out from his lips.

* * *

Arrows were flying through the air, their feathers blowing gently as the heads sought their targets. The great pegasus, with his friend/master/passenger, dodged with great agility, practically swimming through the air as the arrows passed his fur. "Excellent work, Mach," Durbe said, patting his friend's neck gently.

Mach whinnied in reply. Then his eyes widened when he noticed yet another arrow flying through the air. He turned himself around, hoping for the arrow to miss him by mere inches.

He succeeded, but he nearly dropped his passenger. Durbe let out a yelp as he grabbed hold of Mach's mane in an attempt to stay on. That, in turn, caused them both to fall to the hard ground below.

And after the dust cleared, they found Durbe fighting off unconsciousness, his leg caught underneath his steed. (Yeah. Stupid. Sue me.)

Quickly, Mach picked himself up and looked down to his master. Then he nuzzled his face with a worried whinny. "I-I'm alright," Durbe responded. "Just give me a second to catch my breath."

A cackle could be heard nearby, something both steed and knight looked towards as quickly as they could. One of the many foot soldiers of Vector's army was walking over to him, an insane look in his eye. A bow was in his hands, an arrow at the ready. "Not so legendary when on the ground, huh?" he asked with a cackle.

Durbe simply growled and clenched his fist.

Then the foot soldier readied his arrow and aimed it at the fallen knight. Instantly, Mach raised his hooves into the air and let out a terrifying neigh. Then he threw his hooves to the ground, attempting to either trample the foot soldier or protect his master.

Actually, scratch that. He was trying to trample the foot soldier **and** protect his master.

And a few moments followed before he wasn't alone in this endeavor.

Durbe turned his head when he heard the sound of yet another horse letting out a whinny. Then a bright smile appeared on his face when he noticed the rider.

"Ryoga-ouji."

"Come on, Durbe," Ryoga said with a grin. "I told you I'd back you up."

* * *

Sirius looked at the battle with gritted teeth and narrowed eyes. His warrior spirit demanded that he assist, but his brother's command beckoned him to stay put. Two demands colliding against each other. The only way he could vent was to slam his hand against the balustrade. "This is insane," he growled. "Durbe-nii's just gonna get himself killed out there."

"Shark is in for some serious trouble too, if we don't help him!" Yuma exclaimed.

"Shark?" Sirius repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, I mean," Yuma said, "we need to go help Ryoga."

Sirius gritted his teeth and turned away. "We can't," he said. "We were all told to stay here."

Astral, however, had a different thought.

"Yuma," he said, "I would advise going to assist Ryoga. Who knows what might happen if he was to get into trouble during this battle."

"Right," Yuma nodded. "Let's go. Kattobingu da, ORE!"

With a jerk of his neck, Sirius turned to the inside of the palace, only to see Yuma start for the hallways. "Yuma!" Sirius shouted. "Where do you think you're going!?"

"To go help Shark!" Yuma responded.

"Who on Baria is Shark!?"

"I mean Ryoga!" Then Yuma raced down the halls as fast as he could.

Astral, however, could only sigh. So much for Operation Act Normal.

Sirius tried to chase after them, but let's be honest. If everybody could chase after Yuma, things would be a lot easier.

"Ugh, that idiot!" Sirius groaned. "What's he thinking?"

Then Rio and Kotori raced through the door and down the hall.

"Hey- What are **you** two thinking?!" Sirius shouted. "Kotori-san! Rio-hime! Get back here!"

"No way!" Rio responded. "My brother might kill himself if I don't get over there!"

"Sorry, Sirius-san," Kotori called back.

Sirius simply slapped his forehead. "Apologize at my funeral, why don't you?" he mumbled. "Get back here! The both of you! Durbe-nii and Nasch will kill me if I don't make sure you're safe!"

"Then make sure we're safe!" Rio shouted.

"Why me?"

"Hang on a second! Kotori-san! Rio-hime!"

* * *

Both Durbe and Ryoga stood back to back, sword in hand as the various swordsmen attacked them. "This is ridiculous!" Ryoga growled. "Where did all these guys come from?"

"Vector has many men under his command," Durbe responded. "That is simply how he is."

A swordsman then lunged forward at Durbe, forcing the knight to back up.

On the very leg Mach had landed on.

Durbe winced, suppressed a terrible groan, and fell against Ryoga's back.

"D-Durbe!" Ryoga exclaimed. "What's the matter with you?"

"It's nothing," Durbe said through gritted teeth. "Don't worry."

Even Ryoga, regardless of how much he wished to deny, could tell that Durbe had hurt himself badly. "Get back on your horse, Durbe," Ryoga said. "You're too injured to work on your feet."

"I'm relieved to hear you worry about me," Durbe said, "but I refuse to abandon you for the safety of Mach's back." He turned to face his friend, a bright smile on his demeanor. "That is what friends are for, after all. Mach understands that as well."

"Durbe," Ryoga breathed.

Durbe smiled again, sweat pouring down his brow.

Then yet another swordsman jumped at the allies, the latter being slightly defenseless that time around.

Thank goodness somebody was a good shot with a bow and arrow. Otherwise, they might have – oh, what's the word? Oh yeah – died.

* * *

An ocean blue arrow flew through the air and landed near their feet. "What is...?" Ryoga breathed. "What is that?"

"That's one of Rio-hime's arrows," Durbe said.

"Ryoga! Durbe!"

Both boys froze. Then they looked to the source. Rio was riding on Guardian, a bow in her hand. Kotori was riding sidesaddle behind her. To her left, Sirius was riding a white steed, Yuma hanging on for dear life. "How do you stop this thing!?" Yuma asked fearfully.

"Stop complaining!" Sirius snapped. "Either you deal with it, or you get off of Spirit!"

"KYAAA!" Kotori screeched. "Get me off of this thing!"

"Don't talk that way about Guardian!"

"Sirius!" Durbe shouted. "What are you doing here?! And why have you brought the women to the battlefield?!"

"Rio!" Ryoga shouted. "Why are you here?! I told you to stay at the palace."

Both animals then stopped, with Spirit throwing Yuma to the ground. "Is that really something you should say to the person who saved your neck?" Rio asked, hand on hip.

Sirius then threw himself off of the steed's back and readied his blade. "Sirius," Durbe snapped. "What are you doing-"

"Spare me the lecture," Sirius growled. "Let's worry about the enemy first."

"Yeah, that's right!" Yuma said enthusiastically.

Then he sweat dropped. "So, um...what are we supposed to do again?"

If anybody had the courage to fall, they would have done it.

Both Mach and Guardian simply grunted, exchanged a brief look, then readied themselves for an attack. Well, to be more precise, Mach readied his wings while Guardian jumped on one of the foot soldiers.

"If you have any monsters at your disposal," Sirius said, deflecting one of the many attacks that came his way, "now would be the time to summon it."

"Okay!" Yuma shouted, reaching for his deck...

Only to find out he didn't have it.

Great.

"Um...," went Yuma, "now what?"

Everybody slapped their heads. Then Sirius took a quick whiff of the air. "Don't worry," he said. "We've got company on the way."

"Which would be?" Ryoga asked.

A loud howl that pierced the air answered his question.

All eyes looked to the sky. Then all eyes widened.

A large dragon appeared.

A bright dragon with deep blue armor and eyes like the galaxy.

"Him again," Sirius breathed.

"Hang on!" Yuma exclaimed. "That's Kaito's-"

"Galaxy-Eyes," Astral finished.

Sirius' eyes narrowed as he spoke four words.

"Galaxy-Eyes...Photon Dragon..."

* * *

**D.T.B: Yay. We've got the you-know-who out. Now for bigger stuff next chapter. If I play my cards right, we'll get a veeeery unexpected surprise at the end.**

**Sirius: Not that. Anything but that. It's embarrassing.**

**Astral: I am very curious about this story.**

**D.T.B: Yeah, whatev. Please review and I'll see what I can do. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sirius: Cat treat!? Barian-san, what do you FEED these people?!**

**Lyra: I don't think she feeds them anything.**

**Antares: It's not her fault you look like a cat. XD**

**D.T.B: Here's hoping I answer any questions you might have. And raise about 300 more. :D**

**Durbe: Am I allowed to worry now?**

**D.T.B: Yep. :)**

**Astral: She does not own Zexal. She only owns Sirius, the OC that all of you seem to enjoy seeing so much.**

**Sirius: ASTRAL!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Legend of the Dragon**

* * *

All eyes were looking up to the monster overhead.

Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.

It's muscular body glowed with power, its eyes snapping with rage. Soldiers from either side backed away when its gaze passed over them. "It came back," Durbe breathed.

"What's he doing here?" Yuma asked, his eyes locked on the beast before him.

"Unless you want to know the exact reason, you'll stay as far away from him as you can," Sirius said, giving Yuma a quick push.

Before anybody had a chance to speak again, Galaxy-Eyes raised his head into the air, power frothing around his teeth. Then he threw his head forward again, shattering two or three of Vector's ships with a single blast of power.

"No way!" Yuma shouted. "This is way cooler than AR vision."

"AR what?" Sirius asked.

"Uh, never mind," Yuma said, quickly evading the question.

Then the Galaxy-Eyes turned his head and faced the group down below. His eyes narrowed as blue lightning sparked in between his teeth. "Uh oh," went Sirius.

"Oh no," Durbe breathed.

"What's it doing?" Rio asked worriedly, backing away a few steps.

"He looks angry," Kotori said.

Then the dragon let out a shrill roar as he opened his mouth and allowed the blast of power to pour out between his teeth.

"Look out!" the knightly twins shouted, forcing everybody to the ground, Durbe with the Kamishiro twins, Sirius handling Yuma and Kotori.

Within the span of a second, the ground beneath his taloned feet was blown to pieces, sections of dirt falling onto the group.

"Why is it attacking us?!" Ryoga asked, growling slightly.

"Why on Baria is that even surprising you!?" Sirius snapped, forcing himself back up.

Galaxy-Eyes then let out another growl, readying a third attack. However, mere seconds before he dared attack again, his eyes fell to Yuma and Kotori.

And the glowing being that floated above them.

His eyes narrowed and a hiss escaped from between his teeth.

"What is he doing?" Ryoga asked.

"I don't know, my friend," Durbe said, forcing himself back onto his injured leg.

Galaxy-Eyes remained frozen for a moment. He neither moved to attack nor moved to flee. Not until a Gorgonic Gargoyle jumped from the ground and coiled itself around the bright dragon. Then it dug its fangs into the soft flash of Galaxy-Eyes' neck.

Instantly, Galaxy-Eyes let out a shrill scream, his body growing dimmer by the second. His clawed hands then reached back and dug into the monster's hardened flesh.

That, in turn, forced the Gargoyle to rip away from him, giving him enough room to throw the creature into the sea, ripping a ship in half as collateral damage. Then he let out a powerful roar (Think Godzilla please.) as his power began to fall.

"Galaxy-Eyes looks kinda sick right now," Yuma said worriedly. "Hey, Galaxy-Eyes! Are you okay!?"

"Don't talk to him, you dolt!" Sirius snapped. "You're only gonna make him mad."

As if to support this claim, Galaxy-Eyes threw a simple photon bolt at the group before letting out a roar and flying away as quickly as he could. Everybody began to cough as heavy dirt got caught in their throats. "S-Sirius," Durbe said, turning to face his brother.

"I've got it," Sirius coughed, racing out of the cloud of dirt. Then he ripped off his glove and brought his fingers to his mouth.

Then he proceeded to whistle. Not a whistle like the one he used to call Guardian. No. Far more high-pitched than that.

In response, a falcon came down from the sky.

A blue falcon with a silver helmet adorning its head.

"Medicus!" Sirius shouted. "Go follow Photon! Hurry! Don't lose him!"

The falcon seemed to nod, then turned in flight to chase after the dragon.

* * *

Everybody breathed heavily as they fought the dirt in their throats. "Well," Sirius coughed, "it's up to Medicus now."

Seconds before he could turn around, however, he suddenly felt a gauntlet-covered hand slam against his head.

"IEEEEE!" Sirius groaned, holding his injured head. Then he turned around and stared his brother/attacker in the face. "What was that for, Durbe-nii!?"

"For being so foolish!" Durbe growled. "Why did you bring Rio-hime and Kotori-san here?"

Sirius' face flushed with rage. "Blame your girlfriend's new buddies!" he exclaimed, pointing at the three in question.

"S-Sirius!" Durbe stammered, his face adopting a light shade of pink.

"They got on Guardian and she raced away!" Sirius continued. "You know I can't control her 24/7. I was stuck riding on Spirit, for Baria's sake!" He then pointed to the steed he'd ridden there on, who was no longer frightened. Rather, he was chewing on grass.

"Yeah, it was my fault," Yuma said, raising his hand in the air. "I left the palace first."

The elder twin could only sigh. "Very well," he said.

Ryoga then looked to the sky. "Let's get back to the palace," he said. "A storm is coming."

"That has to be the best thing I've heard you say in weeks," Sirius said.

Durbe remained silent for a moment. Then he turned to Mach and pulled himself onto his saddle.

Then Mach turned his head and started walking away.

"Umm, Durbe-nii," Sirius said. "The palace is that way." He then pointed in the opposite direction, towards the palace.

"I am aware," Durbe said. "However, Galaxy-Eyes is _that_ way."

"Why are you going after Galaxy-Eyes?" Yuma asked.

"Isn't that what Sirius' parakeet is doing?" Ryoga asked.

"He's a falcon!" Sirius snapped.

"It is true," Durbe said. "Medicus is going after Galaxy-Eyes, but I prefer to follow with my own eyes."

"Stubborn as usual," Sirius mumbled, turning his head to the side.

Then Rio walked up to Durbe's side and touched Mach's fuzzy neck. "Come back safely, okay?" she asked.

Durbe's eyes widened, then they softened and he adopted a smile. "I shall," he said. Then he took her hand in his own and added, "Leave the door open and I'll be sure to say goodnight."

Then he bent down to Rio's forehead and gave it a kiss. Fortunately, he moved too quickly for Ryoga to notice.

Then he pulled himself back and pulled on Mach's reigns. "Yah," he said, followed by Mach unfurling his wings and taking to the sky.

"Ain't he Sir Smooth Talker," Sirius chuckled.

Ryoga let out a grunt. "Come on, then," he said. "Let's get back to the palace."

Not a word in refusal was uttered in response.

* * *

(Later that night.)

Sirius was standing in the den of the palace, (Or wherever the Royal Siblings might hang out when not receiving visitors or sulking in their bedrooms.) with Yuma and Kotori sitting on the couch. His gaze was directed to the palace window, where rain continued to patter. The storm that Ryoga had noticed was quick to hit them did so after Durbe had left them. "He's gonna be soaked when he gets back," he thought.

Ryoga and Rio then walked into the room, with Ryoga closing the alabaster door behind himself.

"Hey, Shark, Shark's sis," Yuma said, waving his hand in the air.

It took all of Rio's willpower to keep herself from yelling at Yuma.

"Shark?" Sirius thought curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yuma," Astral said, looking down to the boy in question. "You did it again."

"Oops," went Yuma. "Sorry. Hey, Ryoga. What's up?"

Ryoga only let out an irked sigh as he sat down, ignoring Yuma's outburst altogether.

"Is Durbe going to be okay out there?" Rio asked worriedly, her eyes directed to the falling rain outside. "It's a pretty bad storm."

"The day my brother runs into more trouble than he can fly out of is the day my hair turns white," Sirius chuckled. "He'll be just fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Kotori asked. "He was going after a dragon."

"My brother's gone after fiercer creatures," Sirius said, leaning against the windowpane. "Need I remind you of what he rides?"

"So what was Galaxy-Eyes doing here anyway?" Yuma asked.

"I'm actually not too surprised that you don't know," Sirius said, raising his head. "The dragon's existence isn't frequently spoken of." He then turned to the window, watching as the rain continued to fall. "That dragon – Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon – has been attacking since a little after the war's beginning."

"What war?" Kotori asked curiously.

Ryoga was very grateful that Kotori chose to bring up the question before he did, even though he didn't speak of it.

Sirius kept his eyes on the windowpane, the sky's tears dripping on the glass. "The war between the United Lands and Umbra Patriae,"(1) he said, turning to face the group in the room. "Ryoga Kamishiro...and Vector Shingetsu."

Yuma gulped and turned away. 'Shingetsu' was not a name he felt comfortable hearing at that point.

"Vector?" Astral asked.

"Vector's army has been attacking this land for two months now," Sirius continued. "Hardly a week into the battle, both sides had suffered exponentially." He turned back to the window. "That was when the Galaxy-Eyes made his first appearance."

"Cool!" Yuma exclaimed. "Was he coming to save Shark and his army?"

"Hardly," Sirius said. "Someone who seeks to save an army doesn't attack both sides of the battlefield."

It took all of Ryoga's self control to keep him from jumping up from his seat.

"Ever since that day, during a major battle, the Galaxy-Eyes appears on the field, attacks both sides, forces a retreat, then flees," Sirius said. "And nobody's been able to figure out where he hides."

"Why do you even try to figure it out?" Ryoga asked, getting onto his feet. "If it attacks Vector's army too, then why should you worry?"

"This coming from the man who requested that my brother risk his neck to find out where that dragon hides," Sirius said with a scowl, pushing himself away from the window.

Oops.

"What?" Kotori asked.

Sirius then let out a growl. "You told my brother that, despite the fact that the dragon was attacking Vector's armies, he was also attacking yours, and you didn't want to risk your people's safety because of a neutral dragon's lack of good judgement."

Yuma let his mouth fall. "Wow," he exclaimed.

"Ryoga," Rio breathed.

Before the conversation could be taken further, however, thunder clapped overhead.

Instantly, both girls ducked behind the closest males. (So Rio hid behind Ryoga, Kotori behind Yuma.)

Sirius turned to the windows again, a somber expression on his face. "Well, what do you know," he said. "Thunder."

"Oh, man," Yuma whined.

Sirius then turned back. "So, Nasch," he said, "what do you say we all hit the sack? Durbe-nii's gonna have to wait out the storm before he returns, and you can bet that it's not gonna end for a while."

"Heh," went Ryoga. "I wasn't planning on staying up, waiting for your brother."

"Sweet gesture, but I wasn't thinking about you," Sirius said, turning to look at Rio.

That, in turn, prompted Rio to turn bright red.

"Okay then," Yuma said, jumping off the couch. "Let's hit the sack! I'm beat!"

Sirius chuckled. "**You're** beat?" he asked. "Really?"

"All you did out there was get thrown off Spirit," Kotori mumbled.

"They are correct, Yuma," Astral said. "Unlike Durbe and Ryoga, you hardly did anything."

"Astral," Yuma growled, turning to face his friend.

Curious, Sirius turned to look over Yuma's shoulder. Then he squinted his eyes.

Though faint, Sirius was able to make out a light blue blur. "What is that?" he thought.

The thunder clapped again, forcing a jump out of Kotori and a shriek out of Rio.

"You girls are such chickens," Ryoga chuckled.

"Mo! Ryoga!" Rio snapped.

* * *

(The getting into bed part of the day has been cut due to a lack of proper explanation.)

* * *

(Around 3 AM)

Rio rested in her bed, sleep having overcome her for many hours now. Her breathing was soft and steady, and her face was the picture of beauty. The aqua-colored blanket hung limply on her tiny frame.

A sleeping beauty.

The thunderclap overhead muffled the sound of her terrace door opening wide. The sopping wet intruder breathed heavily as he struggled to keep his balance. It was as if he had injured his leg earlier that day.

He slowly walked over to Rio's bedside and looked down at her sleeping form. Then he bend forward and touched her face, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face.

"I told you I'd come to wish you goodnight, Rio," he said. "Thank you for leaving the door open."

Then he bent forward and kissed her cheek.

* * *

Umbra Patriae – Latin for 'Shadow Country.'

* * *

**D.T.B: I am only going to say this. If you guys don't know who entered Rio's bedroom, you need to reread this chapter. **

**Sirius: Oh, please.**

**Lyra: Review please. And prepare for a hilarious opening next chapter. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**D.T.B: To answer Ari-chan's question last chapter, yes, Ryoga was called Nasch. I don't remember somebody calling Rio 'Merag.' So for this fic, Nasch and Merag are merely titles and Ryoga and Rio are their actual names. **

**And to answer StuffStuff, you must really like Kaito, huh? XD (Don't worry. I'm a Kaito fan too, so I'm just teasing you.) Sorry, he won't be in this chapter. He WILL be showing up, just not in this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Durbe's Confession **

* * *

The dewdrops sparkled as the rays of sunlight passed through the tiny orbs. The princess, sound asleep in her bedroom, was the first to see the light. With a light stretch, she turned in her bed and let out a calming sigh. Then her hand brushed across her bed.

And something slightly cold.

Her eyes opened up, allowing her to see a young, pale face, covered in a thin veil of sweat.

Durbe.

Rio looked at her hand. Durbe's hand was underneath it. No gauntlet. Just his hand.

And his face was just inches away from her own.

Instantly, Rio's face went bright red.

"EEEEEEEEK!"

* * *

In an instant, everybody was out of their rooms and looking down the hall.

"What was that?!" Sirius asked.

"Rio!" Ryoga shouted.

Suddenly, everybody could hear the slamming of glass against something and a loud grunt from Rio's bedroom.

"What was that?" Kotori asked, her hands over her face.

Sirius facepalmed. "He did it again," he mumbled.

"Who did what again?" Yuma asked, rubbing his eyes.

His answer came immediately.

"Moushiwake arimasen, Rio-hime! I didn't intend to-"

"Get out!"

The doors to Rio's bedroom flew open, and Rio pushed Durbe out of her room, his cape covered in glass.

Ryoga's face flushed with rage. "What were you doing in my sister's room, Durbe?!" he growled.

"W-Well," Durbe stammered, his own face beet red.

"Let me guess," Sirius said. "You went into her room, wished her goodnight, then fell asleep. Am I warm?"

"Scalding," Durbe answered simply.

"How did you even get in my room?!" Rio exclaimed.

"So she forgot about that too?" Sirius thought curiously.

"W-W-Well," Durbe stammered, interrupted by the neighing of a horse in Rio's bedroom.

All eyes looked in.

Mach was standing beside her bed, the terrace door open wide.

"What is **he** doing in my room?!" Rio snapped.

"You leave the door to your terrace open every night so that way Durbe-nii can come in and wish you goodnight," Sirius practically growled. "You've forgotten that **too?**"

Rio's face lit up like a birthday cake when she heard that.

Durbe's even more so.

But, naturally, only one other could take home the trophy.

* * *

(Later)

Durbe let out a terrible sigh as he rested against a tree. In an attempt to lighten the otherwise heavy mood around his master, Mach snaked his neck forward and started biting his hair.

For the most part, it succeeded, as he was successful in getting a laugh out of Durbe. "Give me back my hair, Mach," he said.

The steed did so without hesitation. But it **did** let out a whinny that sounded like a laugh. All that got out of the knight was a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, Durbe! How ya doin'!?"

Instantly, Durbe jerked his head to the side, finding Yuma and Kotori coming his way. Forcing on a smile, he said, "Ah, good morning, Yuma-san, Kotori-san."

"Good morning, Durbe-san," Kotori said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Durbe said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Kotori said, scratching her face, "you seemed pretty upset when you left the palace today. We just wanted to know if everything was alright."

"I appreciate your concern," Durbe said, "but truly, I am fine. If anything, I was embarrassed about my blunder. Falling asleep at the princess' bedside is not something I wish to turn into a habit."

When Kotori noticed Durbe fingering his wrist, his eyes directed to the ground, his face adopting a shade of red, she began to piece something together. A wry smile appeared on her face as she said, "Hey, Durbe-san. Do you...have a crush on Rio-san?"

Durbe's face went bright red when Kotori asked that question out of the blue. ←[She only JUST figured it out?]

"Wh-Why would you ask such a question?" Durbe asked, futilely attempting to hide his obvious embarrassment.

"Don't go giving me that," Kotori laughed. "I've been noticing the way you act around Rio-san. And I mean, come on, you wouldn't kiss her or wish her goodnight when she's sleeping if you didn't really like her."

Mach then gave a 'Got it in one,' kind of whinny, something that earned him a very childish glare from Durbe.

"Yuma," Astral said, "what is a 'crush?'"

"Huh?" went Yuma. "Oh. It means that a guy really likes a girl."

"I see," Astral said, placing his hand under his chin. "So then that would mean that you have a 'crush' on Kotori."

Kotori's face then turned beet red. "Whu? Astral!" she exclaimed.

Durbe, however, was firm. "I can assure you, the feelings I have for Rio-hime are **hardly** an infatuation!" he exclaimed.

Yuma then clasped his hands behind his head. ←[Doesn't especially understand what's going on.]

"In that case," Kotori said, "what is she to you?"

Durbe turned away and let out a grumble. Then he sighed. "Rio-hime," he said, his face still colored red from the blush, "she is...very special to me."

"Oh," Kotori breathed. "You mean like a girlfriend?"

"Hardly," Durbe said, pulling his gauntlet off of his left hand.

Kotori's eyes widened with curiosity as Durbe gave his mesh sleeve a tug.

When he revealed a white bangle on his left wrist.

"Rio-hime," he said, "is my betrothed."

* * *

Kotori's mouth hung agape when Durbe said those four words.

Betrothed? No way. RIO? And DURBE?

"You're kidding," she breathed.

"Hardly," Durbe said, pulling his gauntlet back on his hand.

"Uhhh," went Yuma, "what's a betrothed?"

Durbe simply stared, his face refusing to lose its blush.

Astral leaned forward a little bit. "Yuma," he said, "a 'betrothed' is someone who is engaged to be wed."

"Uh, what?" Yuma asked.

"So you and Rio-san are **engaged**?!" Kotori exclaimed.

"Y-Yes," Durbe said, turning away. "And yes, Ryoga approved of it. After I defeated him in a sparring match."

"Congratulations!" Kotori said, clapping her hands together.

Durbe simply rubbed the back of his head and turned away.

"Arigato."

* * *

Sirius was walking through the forest, towards the cliffs, his hands clasped behind his head. "Well, that was a way to start the morning," he thought aloud. "And I thought the days back at the village were insane."

As soon as he reached the cliffs, he allowed himself the privilege of a stretch. "Ah, but I'll say one thing," he said. "You can't get this kind of sun back at the village."

A bright smile appeared on his face as he basked in the light.

Then his eyes opened up when he heard the cawing of a bird overhead. Then he smiled and raised his gloved hand into the air. "Ah, Medicus," he said. "It's good to see you back."

The blue falcon let out another caw and landed on his arm.

"So tell me," Sirius said, "what have you found?"

Medicus cawed again and started chirping. (The falcon chirping like a pigeon. Yeah, that's weird.)

Then Sirius' eyes widened while he himself stifled a gasp. "Nani?"

* * *

**D.T.B: Ugh. Short chapter. Sorry 'bout that. Next chapter, we SHALL have Kaito. I can promise you that. Even if it is something as tiny as a cameo. Until then, you'll have to settle for this tiny chap. **


	7. Chapter 7

**D.T.B: Hello, fans of TTAS. Sorry for the lack of update last week. Couldn't exactly be avoided. Gomen ne. :( But, here's the update now, so enjoy! XD**

**Sirius: She doesn't own Zexal. Might as well accept it by now.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**The Dragon Tamer – Hang on, WHO!?**

* * *

Rio was walking through the garden, a bright smile on her face, her hands behind her back. "Ah, it's a beautiful morning," she breathed. "A nice swing from all the rain we got yesterday. Don't you agree, Ryoga?"

Ryoga shrugged. "I guess," he said.

"It is indeed," a voice said, prompting the twins to turn around.

Durbe was making his way to the fair princess, a ghost of a smile visible on his face. "Good morning, Rio-hime," he said.

Rio blushed slightly, remembering their first transaction that morning. "G-Good morning, Durbe-kun," she said, rubbing the back of her head.

"What do you want, Durbe?" Ryoga asked, his voice adopting a near growl.

"I only wished to speak with Rio-hime for a moment," Durbe said. "That is all."

"Then speak away," Rio said, throwing her hands behind her back.

Durbe looked over to Ryoga. "What?" Ryoga asked.

"I mean no disrespect, Ryoga-ouji," Durbe said, "but I wish to converse with Rio-hime in private. Would it offend you if I walked with her for a moment?"

Before Ryoga could object, Rio placed her hand on his chest, silencing him as quickly as anybody ever could. "Not in the least," she responded. "Come on, then, Durbe."

Durbe could tell that Ryoga was all set to explode, so it's safe to say he moved as quickly as a knight could without looking like a coward. Which, considering how quickly Rio could run with Durbe's hand in her own, was pretty fast.

* * *

"So," Rio said, walking through the trees in the forest, ducking under the many leaves that hung overhead, "what did you want to talk about, Durbe-kun?"

Durbe rested his back against one of the tree trunks. "I wished to apologize for this morning," he said. "It was not my intention to alarm you like that."

"Oh, it's okay," Rio said, hiding the blush creeping up on her face. "I overreacted. I shouldn't have hit you over the head with that vase."

Durbe raised an eyebrow. "Rio-hime, are you alright?" he asked.

"Certainly," Rio said. "Why would you ask something like that?"

"You never apologize for injuring me like that," Durbe said. "You always say, 'Well, it was your fault for scaring me like that.'"

Rio froze. "I do?" she asked.

Durbe nodded. "The only time you apologized was when I actually started bleeding and had to be taken to the medical room. I still have the scars."

Rio's eyes widened. "Really?"

"You better believe he does!" Sirius said, appearing between the knight and princess. "Our mom flipped when she saw that!"

Instantly, both Durbe and Rio jumped, screaming the color out of their faces.

Sirius, however, simply had an almost innocent expression on his own. "I promise, Durbe-nii," he said. "I shall **not** inform Mom that you scream like a girl."

"How kind," Durbe growled, steadying his breathing as slowly as he could.

"S-S-Sirius!" Rio screeched. "What are you doing there, in that tree!?"

"My eagle wouldn't get down," Sirius said, jumping out of the tree and landing on his feet.

"Why you're so obsessed with animals, I'll never know," Durbe said.

"I'm not obsessed with them, Durbe-nii," Sirius responded, patting his pant leg. (Or armor. Depends on your perspective.) "I'm fond of them. Is that a crime?"

"Not that I'm aware," Durbe responded. "Though it would be a better idea to befriend people of your own kind."

"What are you implying?" Sirius asked, placing his hands on his hips. "I am fully capable of talking with human beings."

Then a yip emerged from the bushes and a tiny white wolf cub appeared, brushing his head against Sirius' leg. "Hey, Corvus!" he exclaimed, picking the puppy up. "It's so good to see you, little guy!"

The way he was speaking in a high-pitched tone prompted Durbe to sweat drop. He was doing little to support his argument. "Did you come to speak of something important?" Durbe asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Sirius exclaimed. "Thanks for reminding me. Medicus came back this morning."

"And let me guess, he failed to find the dragon?" Durbe sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"You should really trust birds a little more, Durbe-nii," Sirius said. "You'll find that they're actually more reliable than that feathered horse of yours."

"His name is Mach," Durbe scolded.

"Do you two always fight like this?" Rio asked, sweat dropping.

"Not really," they both responded, their voices in perfect sync with one another.

Rio chuckled. "Okay," she said. "Anyway, what did you want to talk about, Sirius?"

His expression grew solemn. "Medicus found out where the Galaxy-Eyes goes after the battles," he said.

"And where is that?" Durbe asked.

Sirius rubbed his head. "Well, that's the problem," he said.

* * *

"Come on!" Yuma exclaimed, digging through his 'rented' bedroom like he lost his deck. "I know I left my deck on the nightstand when we got here."

You might wanna scratch that. He **did** lose his deck.

Astral and Kotori sighed. "Yuma," went Kotori, "this is why people actually **take care** of things."

"I know!" Yuma shouted. "But that's not important right now! Aw, come on, where is it?!"

Astral sighed. "Observation Number 24: Yuma is incapable of taking care of his deck, no matter what the century he lives in."

"Wow, these pictures are pretty amazing."

All eyes looked to the window. Sirius was sitting down in the middle of the open hole, Yuma's deck in his hands. He appeared to be examining them carefully.

Very carefully.

Yuma jumped onto his feet and raced over to Sirius. "THAT'S MY DECK!" he shouted. "Where did you get that!?"

"Found it," Sirius responded, not turning to face the rather emotionally fragile boy. "It was on the ground and I picked it up. Rather interesting. I've never seen magicians wear this kind of fabric. What is it? Cowhide?" ←[Leather.] "And what's that in this girl's hand?" He raised an eyebrow. "Gagaga girl? I'm confused. Is she a monster or a dancer?"

"Can I have my deck back please?" Yuma asked tearfully.

"Huh?" went Sirius, turning to face Yuma. Then he smiled. "Certainly. Here."

He handed the deck to Yuma, something Yuma graciously accepted. "You might want to take better care of them though," he said. "Just a little tip. My monsters yell at me if I forget about them."

Yuma's eyes sparkled with joy. "You have monsters!?"

Sirius smiled. "Sure I do," he said. "You might even get to see them in action next time we go to battle."

"Awesome!" Yuma exclaimed. "Can I see your deck?"

"See my deck?" Sirius asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yeah!" Yuma said. "Can I?"

"He's asking to see something that can only appear during a Yami no Game?" Sirius thought curiously.

Sirius let out a chuckle. "Sorry," he said. "Maybe when I actually get into a yami-" he paused; "duel. Maybe when I get into a duel. Until then, you'd better go meet up with Nasch. We've got somewhere to go."

"Sweet! Where!?"

Sirius smirked. "We're going to visit a friend of mine," he said. "Someone who might be able to tell us where that Dragon went."

* * *

(Outside the United Lands, near the mountains.)

"EEEEIIIIGH!" Kotori shrieked. "Get me off of this thing already!"

Sirius growled in an attempt to suppress his increasing rage. That was the twentieth time in half an hour that Kotori had screamed like that and his ears were beginning to ring as a result. And Guardian wasn't even running that fast. "Remind me again why Guardian and I have to carry Kotori-san," he asked under his breath. "I'm going to be lucky to keep my **ears!**"

Guardian was in obvious agreement, evident by her dropping her own ears as if ready to pounce.

Durbe followed beside his brother, seated firmly in Mach's saddle. "My apologies, Sirius," he said. "But Mach only has the one extra saddle."

Rio blushed madly as she grabbed hold of Durbe's chest to avoid falling off of Mach. Ryoga, who was watching the two of them remain seated in a rather – what would be the proper word? - Romantic position, was beginning to fume, something Sirius noticed and slowed Guardian down as a result. "Stay out of this," he mentally told himself. "Just stay out of this."

"So," went Yuma, who was stuck riding on the same horse as Ryoga, "who are we going to visit? Is he a duelist?"

"Not necessarily," Durbe said. "He lives over there." He pointed to a lone mountain.

Yuma looked at the mountaintop. "I take it he doesn't like company?" he asked.

"In a sense," Durbe said. "He prefers the company of dragons and his younger brother over others." He turned to Sirius. "You know more of him than I do, correct?"

Sirius nodded. "He prefers to keep his problems to himself, but I think it had something to do with his teacher-slash-brother figure," he said. "Apparently, they had a dispute a while back, and he and his teacher split up or something."

"Whoa," Yuma breathed.

"What did they fight about?" Rio asked.

Durbe looked back to her. "We don't know," he said. "He did not give us any of the specifics. And we chose to honor his privacy."

Then he looked back to the road before them, his gaze remaining solemn.

Then Sirius looked up to the sky. Then he looked over to his brother. "Hmm," went he, a devilish look crossing his face. "Hey, Durbe." Durbe looked over to him. "At the rate we're going, it'll be nighttime when we get there. Want to pick up speed?"

Durbe raised an eyebrow. "Were you not the one complaining about Kotori-san's voice?" he asked.

"Mo!" Kotori snapped.

"I never said that all of us would pick up speed," Sirius said, ignoring the bird behind him. (Get it?) "I just asked if you wanted to."

Then Guardian got closer to Mach, allowing Sirius to do what he wanted to do.

He gave Mach a good whack to the hindquarters.

The results were instant.

Mach let out a terrible whinny as he unfurled his wings. "EH!" Durbe exclaimed. "Mach! Calm down!"

Mach didn't listen. Instead, he took to the sky, forcing Rio to tighten her grip on Durbe's chest.

"SIRIUS!" Durbe shouted.

"Be down in time for dinner, you two!" Sirius shouted up at the two of them.

Ryoga then shot Sirius a look and growled, something the knight did not fail to notice.

* * *

(Sunset, at the foot of the mountain)

The small group stopped at the foot of the mountain. A cave opened up to them, and a well-kept one at that.

"That was far from amusing, Sirius," Durbe growled, getting off of Mach's back.

"You're right," Sirius chuckled, sliding off of Guardian's back. "It was hilarious."

Yuma simply stared at Mach, his jaw dropped to the ground. "That is a cool horse," he said. "Think I could ride 'im sometime?"

"I doubt that very much, Yuma," Astral said, "seeing as how you cannot even stay on your own feet without tripping."

"Aw man," went Yuma.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. Again, he was able to make out a blue blur floating behind Yuma. "Who is that?" Sirius thought. "**What** is that?"

"So where are we?" Ryoga asked, getting off of his horse.

"Do we have to give you the low-down again?" Sirius asked.

Durbe didn't really listen to that part. He was too busy getting Rio, who was shaking like a leaf, off of Mach's back. "Would you like a hand, Rio-hime?" he asked.

Rio didn't answer, but she **did** jump off of Mach and into Durbe's waiting arms.

Naturally, they got a glare out of that one. But they also got a dreamy sigh from Kotori.

"Company?" a tiny voice squeaked.

All heads turned to the opening of the cave. A tiny boy with blue hair and golden eyes was looking at them, hiding behind one of the cave walls. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and deep grey pants, with sandals covering his feet.

Yuma's eyes widened when he made the connection.

"Ha-" he began.

"Hey, Haruto-kun," Sirius said.

The little boy's face then lit up.

"Who's there, Haruto?" a deeper voice said.

Haruto turned around. "It's Sirius-san, Durbe-san, and their friends," he called back.

This time, the Kamishiro twins and Kotori's jaws fell as a second person appeared from the mouth of the cave. One who was wearing a white sarong with a black belt and a backless leather chest piece. An aquatic blue pauldron protected his left arm and a bandage covered his right bicep. Finally, a teal earring adorned his left ear.

One with blond hair and a teal fringe.

One with piercing bluish-grey eyes.

One with a face...they knew all to well.

"What would bring the king of the United Lands to a place like this?" he asked. "I hope you have a good reason, Durbe, Sirius."

"Kaito!" Yuma exclaimed. "What are you doing here!?"

* * *

**D.T.B: YAY! Kaito got his part! YES! 'Bout darn time too. And that whole description for the outfit that Kaito's wearing in this fic? Yeah, go to Arlownay's story note, "Alamet," and click on the link for "Kaito (Druid Warrior.)" That's him. I couldn't resist. It worked perfectly. Sorry, Arlownay! It was too perfect to pass up!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**No Galaxy-Eyes**

* * *

"Kaito!" Yuma exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Everything froze for a second or two. Kaito Tenjo was standing before them, dressed like a young warrior of some kind. His eyes were locked on those standing before him, as if he fancied them to be a good meal.

Ryoga 'tch-ed' and stepped forward. "Okay, Kaito, spill the beans," he said. "What's going on here?"

Kaito's eyes narrowed, followed by him turning to the knight twins. "Sirius," he began, "maybe you can explain why these people are here?"

Did Kaito just say that? Someone just messed up his speech patterns big time.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "Sorry about this, but they wanted to talk with you."

"You'd better believe we wanted to talk with you," Yuma said enthusiastically. "How'd you get here, Kaito?!"

The smile on his face made his face glow, something that prompted those around him to raise an eyebrow.

"You're talking as if I should know you," Kaito said. "Who are you?"

"Me?" Yuma asked, pointing to his own face. "It's me, Kaito! Yuma!"

Kaito's eyes narrowed some more.

Yuma, uncomfortable with the situation, backed away. It wasn't his Kaito.

How awkward.

"Eh, sorry," Yuma said. "Mistaken identity."

"That's not too unusual," Kaito said in such a way, it almost sounded like he was forgiving Yuma for his outburst. He then looked back to the people standing beside Yuma. "If you still need to talk with me, speak now. I don't take kindly to strangers."

"Uh, right," went Yuma, backing away slightly. "Well, um..."

At that point, Durbe walked forward. "Kaito-san," he said, "I'm sure you've heard of the Galaxy-Eyes."

"I have," Kaito replied, folding his arms across his chest. "What of it?"

"Do you train it?" Sirius asked.

"And what makes you assume I do?" Kaito asked, his voice bordering on a growl.

"Medicus followed it here," Sirius responded.

"Your pretty blue bird?" Haruto asked.

Sirius nodded.

"I saw it yesterday!" Haruto exclaimed happily. "He was sitting in the tree. He's so pretty."

"See?" Sirius said, looking towards his brother. "I'm not the only animal lover in the world."

"That dragon has been attacking both sides of the battlefield," Durbe said, ignoring his brother's outburst. "If he is a dragon under your wing, then it is you who must take responsibility."

At that point, Kaito let out a growl. "So let me get this straight," he said. "Are you accusing one of my dragons of attacking your people?"

Ryoga stepped forward. "You better believe it, hotshot," he said. "So tell us. Is Galaxy-Eyes yours or not?"

Haruto looked up to his brother, a worried expression on his face. "Nii-san," he squeaked.

Kaito's eyes were locked on the people standing before him, like a wolf on the prowl.

Just like when he was hunting Numbers. Yuma was gonna have to remember that.

Finally, he let out a sigh. "Interesting theory," he said. "But you're wrong."

"Huh?" went just about every person in front of the cave.

"None of my dragons would harm a human," Kaito said. "Not unless it had very good reason, which is incredibly rare."

"And besides," Haruto added, "even if one of Nii-san's dragons **was **being mean to humans, it wouldn't be Nii-san's fault."

"And why not?" Ryoga asked. "They're his pets, aren't they?"

That struck a very sensitive nerve in Kaito.

"Because," Haruto said, "Nii-san is-"

"That's enough, Haruto," Kaito interrupted.

Everything froze again.

Kaito took a step toward them all. "Dragons are not pets," he said. "Do not ever speak of them like that again." He narrowed his eyes. "If the Galaxy-Eyes has taken refuge with my dragons, go ahead and search. But watch your tongue. Dragons are prideful creatures, who will not hesitate to turn you into their next meal should you choose to insult them in their presence."

Yuma and Kotori gulped. "Right," they choked.

With that, Kaito turned his body and walked into the cave. "Follow me," he said.

Silence.

"Aw, don't take his little warning so seriously," Sirius said out of the blue. "All the dragons he raises are just a bunch of kitty cats. They wouldn't hurt a human unless he or she was dumb and took one of their eggs."

Yuma made a note of that, as did Astral.

"He's right," Haruto said. "So come on. They're pretty."

Then he took hold of Rio's hand and started pulling her into his home.

The boys and Kotori followed close behind.

* * *

Yuma started whining like a little child. "How much further are we supposed to go?" he asked. "We're lost, aren't we? Ugh, anybody else hungry? I haven't eaten in days. I haven't tasted water in hours. I'm gonna die. I just know it!"

Sirius sighed. "Yuma," he groaned, "we've only been walking for ten minutes."

Everybody looked at Yuma, Kaito included.

Then Yuma blushed out of embarrassment. "Oh," he said. "Right." Instantly, he stood up and got back to normal.

Kaito sighed. "So tell me," he said, "where did you happen upon that guy?"

"I know where we happened upon him," Sirius said. "I'm just trying to figure out where he came from. It's like he's from a whole other world or something."

"Or something is definitely putting it lightly," Kaito thought. "I sense something different about him and his comrade. Something...foreign."

A cough suddenly escaped Kaito, something that alerted them all. "Wrong pipe?" Sirius asked.

"You might say that," Kaito said, placing his hand on a large stone. "We've arrived."

The stone lit up like Galaxy-Eyes' armor and vanished, revealing a wide chamber with a sparkling waterfall on the far wall. About a dozen dragons were playing on the grounds below them, like children in a park. The sheer innocence was enough to make Kotori and Rio giggle like toddlers.

"Incredible," Durbe breathed. "I've never seen so many dragons in one place before."

"Awesome!" Yuma exclaimed. "These dragons are cool. Hey, look. It's a Red-Eyes!"

"That's a lot of reptiles," Ryoga said. "That's for sure."

"You know," Sirius said, "they may be kitty cats, but they are easily provoked. Don't call them 'reptiles.' They find it to be insulting."

Ryoga didn't seem to hear Sirius' words. Either that, or he simply paid no heed.

Kaito leaned against the wall, his eyes focused on the dragons below. He spoke not a word, practically waiting for someone to say that they were convinced.

Naturally, he didn't get that.

"Do you see now?" Haruto asked. "We can show you around if you want, but I don't think Galaxy-Eyes is here anymore."

"Not anymore," Sirius said, "but he **was** here. I can still smell him."

"If you wish to go and speak to the dragons themselves, go right ahead," Kaito said, turning to walk away. "Just make sure you don't end up as their supper."

Haruto then walked over to the team as Kaito began to walk away. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked happily. "It's gonna be dark by the time you start heading back."

Right on cue, everybody's stomachs started growling. "Well, uh," went Sirius.

"I suppose," Durbe attempted to say, brushing his hair away from his face awkwardly.

"It might be a good idea to eat," Kotori completed, chuckling slightly.

Haruto giggled.

But a loud, terrible coughing fit near the dragon chamber broke that smile into a thousand pieces.

"Is that," Sirius began.

"Nii-san!" Haruto shouted, racing to his brother, who had since left the chamber and advanced quite a ways down the sandstone brown tunnel.

Everybody, Ryoga included, started to follow the little boy. "Hey, Haruto!" Yuma exclaimed. "Slow down!"

He had no further reason to say that, though, when he saw the state the Kaito was in.

He'd stopped walking about halfway down the hall, and was now on his hands and knees, hacking up a lung. Little Haruto was looking at him with horrified eyes, his tiny hands on his brother's heaving shoulders. "Nii-san," he choked out, tears threatening to pour from his eyelids.

"Kaito!" Sirius exclaimed. "What's the matter? Are you having another episode?"

He walked over to Kaito, holding his hands out to help him up, only for Kaito to shove him away.

With his bloody hand.

"K-Kaito," Sirius breathed, his eyes trembling slightly.

Kaito simply looked at Sirius, glaring at him with that dragonly stare he'd so often give when angered. Then another hacking fit attacked his lungs, startling everybody who was being forced to watch.

"Hang on, Kaito!" Yuma said. "We'll get you a glass of water."

Kaito didn't hear him that time. His ears were too busy ringing incessantly for him to make anything out.

Then his arms gave out on him, as did his strength...and his consciousness.

* * *

(Later, in the main room of the cave. Also known as the living room/bedroom in a normal house. XD)

Haruto gently dabbed his brother's feverish face with a wet cloth. Kaito was resting on his bed, his breath becoming low and ragged as he slept. "Nii-san," Haruto squeaked.

"I'd thought he'd gotten over it," Sirius said, leaning against the rocky wall with a sigh. "Guess I was wrong."

"Thought he'd gotten over what?" Yuma asked, entering the room with Kotori, Durbe, and Rio following close behind. "Is Kaito sick?"

Sirius sighed again, lightly hitting the back of his head against the wall.

"Yes," Haruto answered, turning himself around and leaning his back against the bed his brother was resting on. "Very sick. I don't know why, but..."

Sirius sighed. "That's just the way he is," he said. "So tell me, how're things on your end? Any Galaxy-Eyes?"

Durbe didn't give that question an answer. Instead, he turned to a rather dirtied Ryoga and allowed the question to answer itself.

"Oh," Sirius drawled. "Okay then. I take it Galaxy-Eyes is long gone."

"Indeed," Durbe said. "That means that our journey here was pointless."

"Not entirely, but I see your point," Sirius said. Irritated, he let out a sigh. "Talk about foolish."

"Want to stay here tonight?" Haruto asked. "It's really late and we have lots of room."

"Really?" Kotori asked, more out of curiosity than eagerness.

"Yeah," Haruto said, giving her a bright nod. "Nii-san wouldn't say it out loud, but he wouldn't like it if you leave in the middle of the night and face off against monsters and stuff like that."

Sirius smiled. "Haruto," he said, "the Kaito Tenjo interpreter."

"Interpre-what?" Yuma asked.

"Forget it," Sirius mumbled.

"Regardless, Haruto is correct," Durbe said. "It is late and it would be wise for us all to rest. At least until Kaito has awakened and we know that he shall recover."

Rio looked over to Ryoga, a sly grin on her face. "Well, Ryoga?" she asked. "You gonna leave him alone like this?"

Ryoga growled softly as he turned to the side.

"It's decided," Rio said. "We're all staying here tonight."

Haruto's smile turned into a grin.

"Alright!" Yuma exclaimed. "Sleepover!"

"Yuma, need I remind you that Kaito is sleeping?" Astral asked.

"Oh, right," Yuma chuckled.

Sirius looked over to them. Then he narrowed his eyes as the light blue blur behind Yuma grew clearer. "It's becoming easier to see," he thought. "Yuma...you reek of a scent I do not recognize. And you are so often accompanies by a spirit of light. Who are you? And why are you here?"

Not even Yuma could answer that last question.

Not yet, anyway.

* * *

**D.T.B: So we've got an answer. Galaxy-Eyes is NOT where Sirius expected him to be. The question is, where is he?**

**Sirius: If you DARE give them an answer, you're in for it.**

**D.T.B: And spoil the story? No way. It's vital.**

**Antares: When am I gonna show up!? You promised me a spot!**

**D.T.B: Depends on when the you-know-what happens. That could be next chapter or the chapter after. Dunno. Anyway, review please. This was probably a meaningless chapter, but it was something. I think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Finding the Truth at Nightfall**

* * *

The sound of whistling filled the air that night. The birds remained silent, allowing them to listen to the music. Resting in the forest, near the caves that Kaito was resting in, was Sirius, his lips against a leaf whistle. Though nobody could hear the lyrics of the music he was playing, the tune allowed all to understand.

_I open my eyes to the sunset._

_The sunset of my soul._

_I await the cry of my children_

_Before my eyes grow cold. _

_Come, my children._

_Listen, my boys_

_Rest in my arms_

_Hear the bells._

_The bells of silence_

_The bells of joy._

_The crystal sounds of light._

Tears threatened to pour down the young boy's face as the memory that accompanied the song flashed through his head. Images of a father who loved his sons. Bright smiles. Sleeping tykes.

Then finally, a letter that brought with it sad tidings.

The tears began to flow at the memory.

"Wow. You're really good, Sirius," a voice said, knocking Sirius out of his song-influenced trance.

Jerking his head to the side, he found that Yuma was walking up to him, Durbe following close behind. He forced himself to suppress the saddening memories and hastily brushed the tears away as he stood up. "Thanks, I guess," he said. "I'm actually not that great."

Durbe chuckled. "Hardly," he said. "You are capable of reaching a tune on a mere leaf that I fail to reach on a flute."

Sirius turned away. "Yeah, thanks," he said.

Curious, Durbe looked forward. "Sirius," he said, "is something wrong?"

Sirius refused to answer. But the tears that he'd failed to clean up were all the evidence Durbe needed to say something was indeed wrong.

Then he remembered the song that his brother was playing.

"Was it about Chichiue?" he asked, earning a wide-eyed expression from his brother.

Yuma looked over to Sirius, who looked down to his feet. "Did something happen to your dad?" he asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Sirius growled.

Durbe's expression softened. "Sirius," he breathed.

Brief silence.

Then suddenly, a loud voice rang out.

"Guys! It's time for dinner!"

All boys jumped.

That was Kotori.

"Okay, Kotori," Yuma called back, waving his hand in the air to better get his point across. "You guys hungry?"

Durbe nodded. "Famished," he admitted.

"That depends," Sirius said, placing his hands on his hips. "Did Merag do the cooking?"

"Sirius," Durbe groaned. Then he grabbed hold of his brother's arm and proceeded to pull him towards the cave. "Even if Rio-hime **did** handle the cooking, you should at least attempt to eat."

"Mo!" Sirius growled. "The last time I did that, I got sick in bed with food poisoning! I ain't riskin' it again."

"That is quite enough, Sirius," Durbe retorted.

Astral looked down to Yuma when the knights entered the cave. "I believe this is what you would consider an 'interesting development,'" he said.

"No," Yuma said. "This is called a long dinner."

* * *

And a long dinner it was, as well as the most awkward.

Unfortunately for Sirius, Rio did indeed help with the cooking, leaving him in the uncomfortable position of figuring out whether he should eat or starve.

Looking at the food placed in front of him, he was beginning to veer towards the latter.

This was not lost on Durbe. "Sirius," he said softly, "please eat. It's rude to let it go cold."

"So tell me this," Sirius whispered in reply. "Is it good manners to show them just how bad their food tastes by getting sick afterwards?"

"Sirius!" Durbe snapped under his breath.

Yuma, thankfully, wasn't paying any attention to them. He was too busy downing his meal.

And Kotori was too busy scolding him for his lack of obvious table manners to scold Sirius for his unappreciative behavior.

And Rio looked to be on the verge of snapping at her brother.

Sirius could only sigh. "This is the craziest dinner ever," he thought to himself.

Suddenly, he felt someone pulling on his sleeve. Looking down, he found it to be Haruto. "What's the matter, Haruto?" Sirius asked.

"Here," Haruto said in reply, holding an apple out to Sirius. "I figured you wouldn't eat, so here. Eat up."

Sirius was taken aback. Then he smiled and shook his head. "You eat it, Haruto," he said. "You can't eat this junk any more than I can."

That earned him a nasty elbow to the ribs from his brother.

Haruto simply chuckled and held the apple out again. "I'm fine," he said. "I'm going to eat with Nii-san when he wakes up. So you can have this."

Sirius paused. Then he slowly took the apple from Haruto's hand. "Then thanks a bunch, Haruto-kun," he said. "You're a good kid, you know that?"

"You say that every time you come here," Haruto chuckled.

"But it's true," Sirius said with a grin, all the while ruffling little Haruto's hair.

Haruto started laughing out loud.

Bad news for Sirius.

Rio finally noticed.

"Sirius," she said, "you have to eat more than just an apple. Come on. Try some Dragon Egg."

Sirius paled at the the charred meal that Rio dared call food.

His grey eyes were directed to her for only a moment before he stood up and said, "I need a breath of fresh air."

"Oh, no you don't!" Rio exclaimed. "Get back here and eat."

"Try and make me," Sirius said, taking a bite out of the apple that Haruto gave him.

Kotori did more than try.

She succeeded.

Taking hold of some chopsticks that were available in what she assumed to be the 'kitchen,' (Seeing as how it held all the dishware and silverware) she picked up some food, grabbed hold of Sirius' ear, and forced him to turn around. "Eat," she growled, stuffing his mouth with the foodstuffs.

The results were immediate. So immediate, in fact, that Durbe just barely had enough time to cover his ears before his brother let it all out.

"That is repulsive!" Sirius shouted. "How do you expect me to eat that?"

"By trying it!" Kotori responded. "Ugh. You're just like Yuma with tomatoes."

"Huh," Durbe thought, all the while preparing to take a bite out of his own meal. "I always compared Sirius to Chichiue with his vegetables. The one time he acted like a child around Okaasan."

"Stop fighting!" Haruto snapped. "Nii-san's sleeping, so stop fighting!"

That stopped them all rather quickly.

Haruto sighed.

Sirius rubbed his head. "Sorry, Haruto-kun," he said.

"So, you're gonna eat?" Kotori asked with a sly grin.

"As if," Sirius growled. "See you later." Then he walked away from wherever it was they were eating, taking another bite out of his apple as he did so.

Durbe sighed. Then he took a quick bite out of his meal.

After that? Well...let's just say that there were two knights who excused themselves from the dinner table. But at least one of them excused himself as politely as he could, given the circumstances.

* * *

Later that night, Haruto entered Kaito's room, a small basket of fruit in his small hands. "Nii-san," he breathed. "You awake?"

"Yeah, Haruto," Kaito responded, forcing himself to sit up. "I'm awake."

Haruto set the basket on the nightstand beside Kaito's bed. "Would you like something to eat, Nii-san?" he asked.

Kaito looked at Haruto with a soft smile. "No thanks, Haruto," he said. "I'm not hungry right now."

Haruto gave his brother one of the cutest little faces after that. Too bad it didn't work. His brother was not to be moved.

So Haruto reluctantly let out a sigh. "They're the ones, aren't they?" he asked. "The ones that, you know."

"Yeah," Kaito breathed. "The ones called here by Galaxy-Eyes. I could feel it when they arrived."

Haruto looked down to his feet as Kaito ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, Haruto," Kaito continued. "I won't let them get hurt. Not while they're here. In this time."

"I know you won't, Nii-san," Haruto squeaked. "That's what worries me."

Meanwhile, though they failed to notice, someone had listened in. He didn't intend to, but he did.

And he had to fall against the wall to keep himself steady. "So that's it," he thought to himself. "That's what I've been smelling this whole time." He gritted his teeth. "Kaito...so you're the one who brought them here. The only question now is...why?"

* * *

**D.T.B: Uh oh.**

**Yuma: You better believe it's 'oh no!' This is terrible!**

**Sirius: Do you even know what on Barian World just happened?**

**Yuma: Well, uh...**

**Astral: Observation Number 28: Yuma has a tendency to 'go with the flow' in even the most mind-boggling of situations.**

**Sirius: I don't need to hear that from the human flashlight!**

**Astral: I am hardly a 'flashlight,' nor am I human.**

**Sirius: DO NOT START!**


End file.
